Temporary Traffic Control

Roadway crashes are a result of three primary contributing factors: human behavior, the roadway itself, and the vehicle. A combination of any or all of these factors may lead to a crash or increase the severity of a crash. However, research proves that the greatest potential to improve roadway safety is by a comprehensive approach that includes enforcement, education, emergency response, and engineering infrastructure safety countermeasures.

Engineering countermeasures are roadway and infrastructure improvements implemented directly to the roadway network. Countermeasures (also known as strategies) include rumble strips, highly reflective signs and pavement markings, roadside hardware devices (guardrail and cable median barrier), traffic control devices, and other geometric improvements. These strategies can actually mitigate against behavior-related crashes by alerting drivers of an upcoming change in the driving environment that requires action or by providing positive guidance to prevent a collision. Countermeasures can minimize the consequences of a driver action that causes a vehicle to depart the roadway or collide with another conflicting vehicle.

ATSSA's Temporary Traffic Control Committee (member login required) works to promote the significance of these temporary traffic control devices and how they impact the roadway safety industry. Committee members focus on federal advocacy, work with ATSSA chapters and members to develop and deliver government relations services, and provide general education on roadway safety infrastructure. The committee also fosters knowledge exchange at all ATSSA venues and works to increase the number of members and/or companies participating in ATSSA programs and events.

ATSSA to partner with FailSafe-ERA on Right Road Job Training and Placement Program

The American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) will partner with FailSafe-ERA on the Right Road Job Training and Placement Program, a program that helps qualified returning citizens receive the training and job resources they need to put them on a path to success in temporary traffic control.

Reducing fatalities on rural roads remains a major challenge in the United States. In 2016, 18,590 lives were lost on rural roads—more than half of all traffic deaths—even though only 19 percent of the U.S. population lives in rural areas. Two-thirds of these rural fatalities involved a roadway departure, where a vehicle crosses a center line, an edge line, or otherwise leaves its travel lane.

Roadway departure countermeasures are regularly used on roads with higher functional classifications and are proven methods for reducing crashes and improving the safety of the transportation system. Crash modification factors have been developed and promoted for several of these countermeasures, and they can be applied more broadly using existing tools and processes.

This research studies the upgrade programs implemented by Sioux City, IA, Mendocino, CA, Putnam County, NY, and the Insurance Institute of British Columbia, Canada, and identifies other projects that upgraded sign materials. The research evaluates each implementation practice and examines the crash results, including crash types, sign locations in relation to the crashes, time of day, light vs. dark, weather, and other factors that may have influenced the signs’ effectiveness. In addition, state and/or national baseline crash information for the same time periods will help establish trends.